No Easy Way Out
by Cadence-of-Silence
Summary: One night changed everything. One night threw everything into chaos. One night destroyed everything she ever was. How can one survive this half-life; never to return to the way things once were. How does one keep the will to live after that one night?
1. Chapter I

Alright, I've decided to go ahead and upload one of my writings. Be warned, I'm not much of a writer. Comments and constructive critisism are always welcome.

-SadisticVampiress

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**Disclamer: I do not own Harry Potter. However, I do own Ardella, Dimitri, Damien, Valissa, and Lysander Sterling as well as the ideas that put together this story. **

***

The night was eerily still and the surrounding silence was unwavering enough to be mistaken for a sound of its own; one so threateningly oppressive that prolonged exposure would guarantee insanity. The sky, normally displaying thousands of bright, twinkling stars, was just as dark and sinister as the stillness, all light concealed by the thick cover of clouds that stretched across the heavens. Even beautiful Luna in all her sparkling radiance was unable to stretch her luminous rays through the impenetrable, vaporous blanket.

Off in the distance, barely discernable in the black abyss, sat a grandiose manor with high spiraling towers and elegant architecture remnant of 18th century gothic cathedrals, the only form of civilization for miles. A flickering light visible from a window on the west tower was the only indication in the darkness that the mansion was there at all. The only source of light in this haunting world of shadows, bereft of any life form.

Save one.

The solitary creature strode purposefully through the gloom, garbed in a dark cloak that allowed the wearer to almost completely camouflage itself as it made towards the foreboding manor. Despite the quick lope at which it traveled, the creature was silent as its surroundings, careful not to disturb the uncanny stillness of the night. Minute stars sparkled among the full moon, trying desperately to burst free of the clouds to light the stranger's path, however, despite the stars futile attempts, the unrelenting dark did not delay the outsider as it continued on its way to the mansion like a moth drawn to a flame.

The silhouette effortlessly scaled the large, intricately designed wrought-iron gates that incased the manor's property leaping down into a graceful crouch, not in the least bit hindered, before winding its way up the twisting driveway that lead to the estate. As expected, the front doors of the manor were well beyond exquisite; made from a sturdy dark wood decorated with wrought-iron to match the gates. The figure hesitated for a moment and glanced around, perhaps searching for anything else creeping around in the dark, before moving away from the grand entrance and circling around the building. After a moment or two, the stranger discovered a smaller and much less splendid door that was worn and deteriorated; most likely a servant's entrance. Anyone who lived in a house this luxurious was undoubtedly too rich not to have maids, cooks, and servants ready to be at their beck and call.

Finding the door handle to be locked, the foreigner pulled an object from the folds of their cloak and tapped the lock a few times before the old door swung open, emitting a soft screech in protest. Quickly returning the unidentifiable object to the confines of their cape, the figure slipped inside and silently closed the door. Once inside, the hooded figure took a quick survey of the room and determined it was the kitchen as pots and pans hung from hooks on the ceiling and a large oven and refrigerator stood against the walls. The stranger made its way out of the kitchen and passed an expensively furnished dining room, sitting room, and a library before reaching the spacious entryway of the manor where stood the same large doors the figure had glanced upon only moments ago. The stranger remained in the entryway for a time, taking in the high-ceilings, marble columns and the large staircase that was situated opposite the doorway leading up to the second floor before branching off in three directions. Silently, the figure waited as if contemplating its next move before walking up the stairs and striding down the left hallway with the same decisive step it had taken on the journey to the mansion.

Creeping up five more flights of stairs and wandering through a maze of hallways, all the while in its determined stride as if it knew the layout of the house, the figure came to a stop outside a set of double doors. Stopping briefly, the hooded head rose slightly and turned from side to side all in all looking like a dog sniffing the air. Seemingly pleased with what it found, the creature simultaneously lowered its head and once again produced the curious item it had used to gain access to through the locked servant's door. Pointing said item at the door, the shadowy figure muttered something indiscernible before the door softly popped open. This time leaving the object out, it stretched out a black gloved hand to push open the door enough to slip its slim body inside before focusing on the large four-poster bed situated against the back wall of the enormous area, apparently the master bedroom.

Slowly heading towards the aforementioned bed, the creature paused only once when one of the occupants sighed and rolled over before halting besides the bed where slept who were most likely the master and mistress of the magnificent mansion. Closest to the figure was a dark-haired man with a strong jaw who might be mistaken to be in his late twenties if one didn't notice the wrinkles at the corners of the eyes and mouth that exposed his age. Besides the man laid an equally young-looking woman with a beautifully heart-shaped face that held full, red lips and long dark lashes that brushed against her cheekbones as she slept, long blonde tresses fanned out behind her. The creature took another step forward so its legs now rested against the strikingly carved wood of the bed and leaned over the man, as if taking in a deep breath. Leaning over a little more, it reached out an empty hand towards the sleeping man.

***

A young girl, perhaps twelve or thirteen, glanced up from the book she had been reading to level her gaze at her door located on the other side of the room. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she lowered her eyes back to the novel in her hands. After another moment or so, she started and looked up again. Once more, she studied the door, her expression bemused, only this time she did not turn her attentions back to the book, instead marking her place and setting it on the nightstand beside her bed. Slowly slipping out of the mountain of covers that adorned her bed, she grabbed a stick-like item from her bedside table and crept towards the door of her bedroom.

She slowly turned the knob of the door and swung it open just enough to stick her head through. Glancing left and then right, she once again found herself confused as to why she was up when the hallway was obviously devoid of anyone but herself. In fact, she was the only inhabitant of the entire west tower, her parents in the east tower and her two older brothers on the north side of their ostentatious mansion. Seeing how late it was, she figured she was getting tired resulting in her mind playing tricks on her. Laughing to herself at how unreasonable she was being, she turned back and was about to shut the door was she heard it.

The sound was faint, probably from the other side of the house, but it was undeniably a scream. Fear coursed through her veins as she checked to make sure she still had the stick in her hand before bolting from the room; racing down the winding staircase and through hallways that she knew like the back of her hand. As she sprinted down corridors and raced around corners, a number of scenarios about who was screaming dancing across her mind's eye. Briefly, she thought that perhaps she should have first woken one of her brother's before investigating the source of the shout, but having already passed by the halls that led to their rooms, she continued her trek towards her parent's wing of the house.

As she came to the final stairway that would take her right outside the double doors of her parent's room, she heard another shriek, this time much louder. She froze in her steps. That last scream held cold-blooded fear, and now she seemed to be rooted to the spot in fright. She was after all, only twelve. What help could she possibly be? She should have gotten her brothers to help. They were older and much more experienced then she was. They'd know what to do. Just as she was about to turn back, she heard another shout and then her mother's voice, broken and begging. Making up her mind, she spun back around and ran up the stairs and burst through the open doors of her parent's room, freezing at the sight that sat in front of her.

The room looked like it always did with all her parent's furniture and paraphernalia in its proper place and impeccably neat. The only item amiss was their bed. What was once a beautifully crafted four poster bed with soft, satin sheets the color of freshly fallen snow, was now in ruins. There were deep gouges in the carved wood and the sheets had been shredded and soaked in what was unmistakably blood, so dark red it almost appeared black. Despite this horrific scene, it wasn't the worst sight in the room. For in the middle of the bed lie what could only be the body of Lysander Sterling.

Upon the sight of her father's mangled and broken body, she let out a muffled sob, her hands covering her mouth as tears began to rain down her cheeks. It was then that the other occupants of the room noticed her presence. She hadn't seen them in her initial scan of the room, but she now saw in the furthest corner of the room, shrouded in shadow, the figure of her mother pressed as far as possible against the wall, a tall, cloaked figure towering over her. At the sound of her tears and sobbing, they had both turned in her direction, her mother's face displaying fear while the stranger's lit up in amusement. Quickly bringing up her hand to wipe away tears that refused to abate and feverishly trying to avoid looking at the bed, she focused on the stranger's face while her jumbled mind attempted to process the horror and confusion it was witnessing. She continued to scrutinize the cloaked figure and began to really look at him and take in his rather odd features. The only part of him not covered in fabric was his head, full of dark locks that curled slightly at the ends and fell around his face to contrast sharply with his chalky white pallor. His eyes were particularly strange and from across the room they appeared to be brown, but had a strange glare about them. Around his mouth was smeared a dark substance and his lips were parted in a feral grin, revealing teeth with abnormally long canines. It took a minute for her mind to catch up, but she soon realized what it was standing before her, and what had unquestionably killed her father and was now threatening her mother.

"You're a vampire," her voice was no more than a shaky whisper, filled with dread and grief, but as she had stated he was a vicious creature with senses that could rival any animals and as such he heard her statement as clearly as if she had shouted it.

"Very good. You're quite a bright child aren't you," his tone was mocking and his grin seemed to grow, if possible, even wider at the prospect of another meal. It was at this moment that her mother seemed to break through the fear that had until now kept her still.

"Ardella, run! Get your brother's and get out of here," her voice was hysterical and it ended in breathless sobs. Ardella could only stand transfixed as she watched her mother wail in a fright induced frenzy. Valissa Sterling had always been a strong, intelligent woman that carried herself with an unearthly grace and was uncommonly kind for someone of her status. It was devastating to see her now, reduced to a pitiful heap on the floor, tears and fright marring her angelic face.

The vampire, apparently more interested in the fresh young blood before him turned from the panic-stricken woman and moved towards Ardella, who could do nothing but watch as her mother fell to pieces and her once happy life slowly crumbled away to absolute chaos. It the past few minutes, she has lost her father and was now on the verge of losing her mother. The suddenness of these events caused her body to tense up and completely lock in place, unable to respond to her brains commands while it raced and tried to take everything in.

Noticing the creature's focus had moved on to a new victim Valissa looked up and locked her gaze with her daughter's, reading the fear, distress, and love in her gaze. Seeming to come to a decision, Valissa Sterling gathered her mind and pulled herself from the floor, standing with every ounce of authority she had left before hurling her body at the vampire advancing upon her daughter.

"Ardella, go _now_!"

The vampire seemed surprised that his prey had managed to move at all, but didn't falter for long. Reaching behind him where she screamed, bit, and clawed at anything she came in contact with, he pulled her around to stand in between him and the girl. He locked his crimson gaze with Ardella's as he lowered his head and swiftly sank his fangs into the neck of her mother, making sure she had a clear view as he sucked the life from the woman who had brought her into the world; the woman that had loved and cared for her; the woman that had always been there with strength when she had none. Ardella gazed on in numbed shock as her mother's shrieks died off into pained whimpers and her fists stopped in their beating to fall limply at her sides. Something about watching her mother's life be taken away seemed to snap Ardella from her motionless stupor as she suddenly brought up her wand, previously forgotten, and pointed it at the vampire.

"_Expelliarmus_!"

The spell didn't have much effect on him as he didn't have a wand in hand and creatures like werewolves and vampires were able to deflect some magic, but it was enough to push him back a few feet and startle him into dropping her mother. Letting out a cry of anguish, Ardella rushed forward and dropped to the ground besides her mother's inert body.

"Mama? Mama, please look at me. Mama? _Mama!_"

"I believe you're too late. Perhaps if you had attacked sooner you might have gotten a word or two from her, but it's too late now," he paused in his taunts and tilted his head, not unlike a dog listening for something, "Yes, I can hear her heartbeat, it's nearly stopped." Ardella ignored the amused words of the vampire and continued to shout at the prone figure, shaking her shoulders and begging for her to open her eyes. After another minute passing with no response, Ardella collapsed once more into uncontrollable tears, laying her head to rest where she should hear her mother's heartbeat, but all she heard was the echoes of her own sobbing.

"Now, my dear, I'm afraid that you're next," the vampire crept nearer to the two, Ardella too absorbed in her anguish to notice or care, "It'll only sting for a moment and then you'll find it feels quite nice."

The vampire crouched down and carefully pulled her up into a sitting position, to which she gave no indication she even noticed as she continued to weep, and leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Who knows, if I can control my thirst I might even keep you."

His mouth now hovered over the junction were her neck met her shoulders and he slowly breathed in through his nostrils to savor the smell of his meal before plunging two pearly white fangs into the soft flesh. Ardella let out a whimper as tears continued to race down her cheeks, but after a moment her cries subsided and a dreamy look passed over her features, the endorphins from the vampire bite calming her. Letting out a soft moan of contentment, Ardella found herself wishing that the wonderful feeling would never end.

"Ardella!" The peaceful feeling that had consumed Ardella was shattered as the vampire withdrew and the door to the bedroom slammed open. Looking around as if in a daze, she turned as saw her eldest brother, Damien, in the doorway wand leveled in her direction. Confused as to why her brother would be pointing his wand at her, she turned back around and came face to face with a beautifully pale face, dark hair falling to frame red eyes and a mouth splattered with blood. This site seemed to pull her back to reality as she looked down and saw the lifeless body of Valissa Sterling.

"_Mama!_ I'm so sorry. I couldn't help you," her hysterics came back and more tears leaked from her sapphire eyes as she babbled useless apologies. She could hear voices in the background, shouting at one another, and the vampire was no longer sitting in front of her, but her hearing was fuzzy as if someone had muted all noise in the world. Her vision was growing dim around the edges and there was a horrible burning pain coming from her neck. Slowly reaching up her hand to the spot, she pulled it back to reveal her fingers covered in a dark, sticky substance so dark she couldn't discern whether it was black or scarlet. Her blood.

And not the blood from a harmless little scratch. No, this was the dark blood that resided deep within the body, the blood that should never come to the surface. She was going to die. Looking down she saw her pajamas soaked in fresh blood; it was impossible she would survive after losing so much of her lifeblood. Feeling a bit faint, she swayed to the side and heard more shouting as two strong arms hugged her figure before she hit the floor. Just before losing consciousness, Ardella was faintly aware that it was her other brother, Dimitri, who had caught her and now cradled her close to his strong chest as he whispered frantically in her ear.

"Don't worry, you're okay. Everything's okay. Just hold on a bit longer. Ardella, _Ardella…_" His voice faded and then there was naught but darkness, cold and unmoving as the world outside.


	2. Chapter II

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**_Disclamer: I do not own Harry Potter. However, I do own Ardella, Dimitri, Damien, Valissa, and Lysander Sterling as well as the ideas that put together this story.  
_**  
***

_Thirsty. So thirsty._

The uncontrollable thirst that left her throat ablaze like a fiery inferno was the first thing that registered in Ardella's newly awakened conscious. She was sure that if the firestorm was not quenched soon it would spread and burn away at her body leaving naught but ashes in its wake. Her first attempt to speak was futile, her tongue feeling ten times its normal size and unable to form words. Swallowing, she felt as if someone had filled her mouth with hot, coarse sand which only intensified the burning flames in her esophagus, nearly bringing tears to her closed eyes.

"Wa-t, w-er," came her feeble croaked in hopes that someone was nearby to hear her distressed pleas. Unable to open her eyes, the lids heavy and seemingly glued shut, she continued her whimper her requests for water. After a time, it seemed someone had heard her cries as a door creaked open somewhere to the left.

"Are you awake, dearie," the voice was kind and sounded like it belonged to an older woman, but was unfamiliar to Ardella. Not caring who the person was while her body attempted to burn away from the inside, she repeated the broken request.

"Wt-r, wa-ater."

"Oh, of course."

Ardella heard the shuffling of feet before the door squeaked close and assumed the woman must have entered the room as she heard items being moved around. The woman continued to prattle on about useless matters in her merry voice, clearly not noticing that Ardella was incapable of responding to the chatter. It was another moment before the woman voice was directly besides her head and she felt something cool and smooth touch her lips.

"There we are. Make sure to drink it slowly," the woman cautioned, tipping the glass to pour refreshingly cool water down her throat that immediately began to sooth the raging blaze. However, the sudden liquid hitting her parched throat caused Ardella to sputter, spewing some of the contents from her mouth.

"Ah, careful now. Don't drink it too fast."

Ardella did as she was instructed and this time was able to swallow a fair amount of the water, taking the edge off the burn, though it did not disperse completely. Blindly gesturing that she was done with the water for now, the cup left her lips as Ardella desperately tried to open her eyes. The lids were heavy and unwilling to move from their closed state, but after a moment or so she was able to crack them open just the slightest. Bright lights immediately assaulted her retinas, and she quickly closed her lids once more to block out the offending light. Waiting a moment, she attempted to open her eyes once more, this time prepared for the blinding torrent of light. Bit by bit she opened them wider and wider until they were fully opened. Blinking a few times to clear her eyes from the fuzziness that accompanied a long sleep, she looked around the room and tried to discern where she was.

The room was almost completely white, reflected the lights to make it seem even more vibrant than it actually was. She was situated on a bed, the linens and pillows all unnaturally clean and stiff, and the only other furniture in the room was two chairs to the right of the bed and small nightstand to the left. Sitting upon the nightstand was a vase with an enormous bouquet of flowers in every color, about the only item to break up the continuous white. Taking a closer look of her surroundings, Ardella observed many strange instruments throughout the room, none of which she recognized, and a small counter with a sink and cupboards. Turning to the woman from before, who she assumed to be a nurse, she was met with a small woman probably in her late forties with short blonde hair and a kind face.

"Excuse me, but where am I? How long have I been here? Why am I here and where are my parents?" Hearing these questions caused the kind face to crumple into one of pity and the woman looked upon Ardella with eyes full of sympathy before answering.

"My dear, you're at St. Mungo's. You were brought in three days ago. Don't you remember anything about what happened?" Ardella stared at the nurse in bewilderment. _St. Mungo's? What am I doing in a hospital?_ Thinking back to try and recall her memories of before she ended up here, Ardella scrunched up her face in thought before letting out a shrill scream.

She collapsed back on the bed and wailed, the nurse running from the room and shouting for help while tears rained down Ardella's face, the awful memories rushing back to replay over and over again in her mind. She could see the dead bodies of her parents, the vampire advancing on her, and the blood. Oh, all the blood; it was _everywhere_.

Looking down at her hands, she saw them once more bathed in bright crimson blood, her mind making her relive the awful moment and leaving her stuck in her memories. She squeezed her eyes shut, tears still falling from the corners as she released another tortured shriek. It was then the door banged open to reveal the woman followed by a man in a white coat, identifying him as a Healer.

"What's happening to her?" the woman questioned frightfully as the youth before her twisted upon the bed and cried out it pain as if under the influence of the Cruciatus Curse.

"She's reliving her memories and to her it looks and feels as if she's going through the whole ideal again," the man let out a sad sigh as he too observed the pained girl. "We'll have to sedate her." The man pulled his wand from his coat pocket and carefully approached the girl. However as soon as he was within an arm's reach of the bed, Ardella's eyes burst open and she stared at him in horror.

"No, get away from me! What do you want? Why are you doing this?" Her voice was hysterical now and she frantically tried to move away from the Healer. "Why did you kill them? Get away from me. _Get away!_" The Healer quickly moved forward and tapped her head with his hand, muttering a spell under his breath. Ardella's face quickly lost is fear instead becoming blank before she closed her eyes and fell back into the pillows on the bed, obviously in a state of unconsciousness. The nurse cautiously moved closer, waiting for the girl to sit up and any moment and resume her tormented screams. Realizing she was out for good, she hurried forward and examined Ardella to make certain she hadn't injured herself during her fit.

"Was that really necessary?" she inquired after the doctor as he began checking the girl's vitals.

"Unfortunately, yes. She was so absorbed in her memories she couldn't see what was really happening. She should be alright when she wakes up. I don't believe she'll relive the memories again. At least," he paused and stared at the girl's prone figure noticing her brow furrow as if troubled, "At least, not while she's awake. I have no doubt she'll have nightmares or years to come."

Both medics looked on at her sadly before exiting the room, leaving Ardella to wrestle with the demons that resided in her mind.

***

When she awoke for the second time, Ardella noticed her throat still burned with thirst, though it was nowhere near as potent as the first time. It was annoying but, for the moment, tolerable. Taking inventory of the rest of her body, she found that all her limbs felt heavy and she didn't have the strength to make an effort in moving them. So instead, she turned her head to the right and opened her eyes to have them once again bombarded with the bright lights of the hospital, causing them to water slightly. Bleary-eyed, she blinked before focusing on the sight in front of her. The two chairs were now occupied by two men, both seemingly in their late teens or early twenties, one with a large muscled frame and dark hair; the other lean with light brown hair. They were both situated as comfortably as one could be in a stiff, plastic chair and had apparently dozed off while waiting for her to wake.

The dark haired one, as if able to sense her stare, blinked away sleep and locked onto her gaze with warm, olive-colored eyes. Seeing awake, a grin stretched across his handsome face and he jostled the other man before leaning forward to pull Ardella up into a fierce hug.

"It's good to see you wake, Ara," he whispered, using her nickname and refusing to relinquish his hold on the girl.

"It's good to see you too, Damien." The hug lasted a while longer, until Ardella pulled back slightly to see that her other brother, Dimitri, had awaken as well. Damien surrendered his grip on her to allow his brother to hug her and express sentiments similar to the ones he had uttered only a moment ago. Once Ardella had broken from Dimitri's grip she promptly fell back against the mountain of pillows on the bed, unable to hold her leaden body up on her own. Her brothers looked on in concern but she dismissed it with a wave of her hand and attempted a small smile, though it was little more than a tilt of the lips.

"Don't worry, I'm just a little sore and it's hard for me to sit up," she meant this to assure them she was fine but upon hearing this admission both jumped up, Dimitri checking her for any injuries and rearranged her pillows so she could sit up while Damien headed for the door, presumable to find a Healer. Seeing them both so frantic and overprotective, despite the situation, she couldn't help but laugh. This only resulted in Dimitri becoming more worried, questioning why in the world she was laughing.

"I'm sorry," Ardella managed to reign in her laughter, though it wasn't hard to accomplish given the ordeals she had recently faced. Sober-faced, she explained, "It's just funny see you two running about like worried mother hens and treating me like a fragile porcelain doll." Before the _event_, Damien and Dimitri and been protective of her like most older brothers and the fact that they came from a pure-blood family they had been drilled from a young age that it was their duty to watch out for their younger sister. However, for the most part, they treated her like any kid, and the three of them could often be found wrestling and rough-housing as if she was their little brother. Ardella had never before seen them this panicked and treating her as if the smallest thing might break her.

Dimitri let out a small sigh and collapsed back into one of the chairs, the panic leaving his features but his face was still etched with concern.

"I know, I know. This isn't like us at all. But you have to understand Ardella, when we saw you," his voice wavered at the end and he reached out and grabbed her hand to clasp in firmly between his two larger hands. "When we saw you, we thought you were," he paused, seeming to rethink his words, "We thought you were with Mom and Dad."

Hearing this, Ardella lost any amount of cheerfulness she may have achieved since waking up. She knew what Dimitri had been about to say. _They thought I was dead. They thought the vampire had gotten me, too. Wait, the vampire._

"Dimitri," he looked up, his cobalt eyes widening at the fear he saw on her face. "Dimitri, what's going to happen to me? The vampire, he, he," she choked, unable to finish as tears leaked from her eyes. Immediately understanding where her train of thought had gone, Dimitri wrapped her up in a hug as more and more tears spilled, soaking his shirt.

That was how Damien and the Healer found them, and Damien urgently inquiring after what had happened. Dimitri quickly informed him of the dilemma, Damien looking distressed and joining the hug. The siblings continued the group hug until someone cleared their throat. Pulling apart, they all turned to see the Healer, still standing in the doorway and looking slightly sheepish at having to break up the hug.

"I'm sorry to intrude, but I have some important matters to discuss with you all and I'm afraid it can't wait."

"That's alright, now what's the situation?" Damien questioned in a straightforward tone. He had always had the worst temper and it was clear his was tired of waiting for answers.

"Right, then I believe it would be best if we got straight to the point. Ardella, what do you remember about the attack?"

All three men turned to look at her, eager to hear what happened. Closing her eyes, she let out a sigh before describing the incident; every occurrence she recalled vivid in her mind. When she had reached the end of her tale she once again was unable to finish when she recollected the vampire bite.

"And then the vampire bent in front of me, and he, he," sensing her grief, the Healer quickly intervened.

"It's alright dear, you don't have to finish. I just need to know, did he actually drink your blood?"

Unable to speak, afraid that she would again dissolve into tears, she simply nodded her head. This small movement caused the three men to deflate, any hope they had was now gone. The Healer shook his head as he scribbled something on the clipboard he held in his hands and both brothers grabbed one of Ardella's hands in silent support.

"Thank you, Ardella. Your information was extremely helpful. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I'll have to run a few tests and ask you some questions," the Healer appeared weary, looking very much like he didn't want to. He left the room, saying he would need additional equipment but that he would be back soon.

As soon as the door shut behind him and his footsteps faded away, Ardella turned to her brothers. "What happened?"

Both seem to be puzzled by her question.

"What do you mean, Ara?"

"What happened, after you found me? Where's the," she paused but a new determination crossed her features, "What happened to the vampire?" Understanding flooded their faces and it was a moment before anyone said anything. Dimitri, who was closest in age to Ardella at eighteen, was always there when she needed him and always told things like they were, not afraid to sugarcoat things just because she was younger. So it wasn't a surprise to Ardella when he was the first to speak.

"We woke up after hearing Mom screaming. We couldn't figure out why she was yelling at you to run, but figure it couldn't be good. Mom never got that worked up over small things," referring to their mother in the past tense made all of them flinch, but Dimitri continued in his explanation. "We grabbed our wands and Damien headed straight for Mom and Dad's room, but I lingered to send a quick Floo message to the Ministry to tell them we had a possible attack. After we arrived the vampire had released you and you passed out from blood loss."

After this statement, Dimitri seemed to waver in his story so Damien picked up where he had left off.

"After that we managed to distract and hold the vampire until some Ministry officials arrived. They captured him and he's supposed to stand trial, though Newt Scamander, he's in works in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, said he'd most likely end up in Azkaban." Finished with the recollection, the three sat in silence, none of them knowing the right thing to say.

"Good." Damien and Dimitri looked quite baffled by Ardella's sudden comment and when she didn't elaborate, Dimitri ventured to ask her what she meant by that.

"It's good that Mom and Dad's killer will be locked away."

She couldn't help it. Despite all the crying she had done in the past few days she once more released a storm of tears. Her brothers hugged her and they too cried for the parents they had lost far too soon.

After their wails had died down to hiccups and sniffling, they all sat down in silence, content just to be with one another. It was then that Ardella realized that her throat was starting to burn again and wishing not to experience it as badly as the first time she woke, asked for some water. Damien fulfilled her request, grabbing a cup and pitcher from the nightstand. After downing three glasses of water, the burn had been controlled, but still not completely doused, leaving an itch in her throat she couldn't rid herself of.

Not long after the Healer came back with a goblet, scalpel, and a small packet full of an unidentifiable liquid. Depositing the items on the counter on the far side of the room, he turned to address Ardella.

"To start off I'm going to examine you and ask some questions, alright?" Ardella nodded her compliance and the Healer started his examination. Taking out his wand he did the usual; checking temperature, blood pressure, reflexes, and respiratory. Once he was finished scribbling the results on his clipboard, waved his wand at the far wall, producing a full-length mirror.

"Now, I know this sounds strange, but would you mind getting up to look in the mirror? Just look and tell me if you think you look any different than you did before."

Slightly perplexed at the odd request, Ardella nevertheless sat up and stood from the bed, finding it much easier to move now that when she woke earlier. Moving over to the mirror she stood directly in front of it and scrutinized a reflection she had known for thirteen years.

Before her stood a rather short teenager, just shy of five foot, that was caught in that awkward phase of being neither a girl nor a woman. A few curves had started to bud, but her overall figure was still rather flat and boyish-looking. She had rather smooth skin, not yet prone to teenage acne, that was pale like most who lived in cloudy areas. Long dark hair, like that of her father's and eldest brother's, fell in long straight tendrils past her shoulders with bangs that somewhat obscured her sapphire irises.

Taking in her appearance, she found nothing amiss, as was about to tell the Healer as much, but paused. Squinting, she leaned closer to the mirror. If she looked closely enough, her irises had a strange purplish tinge around the edges. Now comprehending that the doctor meant for her to look for little differences, she observed the reflection more closely.

Had her hair always been that long? And come to think of it, her nails hardly ever looked that nice or grew that long. She seemed to have lost a bit of weight too, but surely that was due to being asleep the past few days without food. Nearly all people in London were pale to an extent, but had the veins at her wrist and elbow ever been that prominent? Now that she saw these changes, she looked in the mirror and saw a complete stranger. Who was this person? What had happed to Ardella Sterling?

Shaking her head to clear it of these outlandish thoughts, she turned to the Healer and reported the small changes that she had noticed. Upon hearing these, her brothers dashed over and began studying her, as if to prove her wrong and nothing had changed at all.

"Thank you," the Healer once again scrawled something down before moving on to the next test. Gesturing for Ardella to come closer, she acquiesced, going over to sit on the end of the bed.

"As I said before, what I'm about to do will seem strange. I need you to trust me and do as I say if I am to correctly diagnose you," Ardella nodded her understanding, though she puzzled over the word diagnose. What would be wrong with her that needed diagnosing? "Now, I need you to hold out your hand if you will."

Reaching out her left hand, the Healer held it out flat, palm up. Taking the scalpel, he quickly ran it across the center of her palm before anyone could question his actions. Reacting to the gesture, Ardella quickly pulled her hand back to her chest.

"What do you think you're doing, you lunatic?" Dimitri bellowed, Damien and him looking ready hex the Healer into oblivion. The Healer, however, seemed unperturbed.

"May I see your hand, Ardella?" his voice was level and calm and despite what he had done, she tentatively held out her hand for him to see. What they saw came as a shock.

Nothing.

They had all seen him drag the sharp blade along her hand, and she had felt the acute pain of being cut, but there was no slice. The Healer, apparently expecting this, grabbed her hand and pulled it close to his face, while the others stared in shock.

"What, how is that possible?" Dimitri seemed to be at a loss for words as they all stared at her hand. "I saw you slice her hand open, but there's nothing there."

"No, you're wrong. The proof that I cut her is right here," he gestured towards the spot where he had sliced her skin. The three of the leaned forward, not seeing anything, but upon taking a closer look, they noticed the skin was torn like when you receive a paper cut.

"I did cut her, and it did break the skin. It simply healed up at an accelerated rate."

The Healer's words were met with absolute silence. _Accelerated? What did that mean?_ Voicing her thoughts, the Healer simply replied with, "I won't know what it means until the final test." Going over to the counter where he had set down the items, he opened up the liquid bag and poured it into the goblet, simultaneously questioning Ardella.

"Do you feel strange in any way? Any part of you that feels different than it usually does?"

"Well, when I woke up I seemed to have a hard time moving. It felt like my arms and legs had been filled with lead, but I'm feeling better now. Better than I've ever felt actually."

"Anything else?"

"No, nothi-," she paused as her throat began to itch and burn once more, "Yes, when I woke up the first time I had an awful burn in my throat like I hadn't had anything to drink in weeks. I've had some water since then and it helped a bit, but it still burns." The Healer nodded slowly at this revelation, and walked over to Ardella, handing her the goblet full of the strange liquid. She stared at it, trying to discern what it was but the inside of the goblet was black, preventing her from accurately guessing the contents color. Taking a small whiff triggered something in her memory, but she couldn't seem to grasp it.

"Well, go ahead and take a sip," the Healer encouraged when she showed no signs of drinking the strange drink. A bit apprehensive, especially after having him slice her hand open, Ardella nonetheless brought the cup to her lips and took a sip.

As soon as it touched her tongue, an explosion of sensation burst in her mouth. It was the greatest thing she had every tasted; hot, soothing, bitter, and sweet all at once, it left a cool trail down her throat, successfully extinguishing the burn completely. Craving its delightfully ethereal taste she continued to drink more and more of the strange liquid until there wasn't a single drop left. Feeling slightly dizzy, but at the same time content, she brought the goblet away from her mouth and let out a satisfied sigh, handing the empty goblet back to the Healer.

He quickly looked at the goblet, but it was clear that she had guzzled down every bit. Making another note on his papers, he looked at Ardella, his gaze full of pity. She turned to him, oblivious to his sympathetic gaze.

"Was that the last test?" she questioned, secretly hoping that there was another test that involved more of the wonderfully, strange drink that she couldn't seem to get out of her mind.

"Yes, that was the final test. I believe I have everything I need to know." His voice was hollow and not at all like the cheerful tones he had used not so long ago. Ardella and her brothers continued to look at him, waiting him to divulge the results of her tests. Waiting for him to tell them that she was perfectly fine and was able to go home.

"Well, is she alright? Is she able to go home now?" Damien questioned as the Healer seemed to be in no rush to tell them anything. The Healer stared and Ardella for another moment before blinking away whatever momentary trance he had been under.

"I don't know how to tell you this," his voice had become strained and he was nervously clenching and unclenching the clipboard in his grasp, "I'm afraid that Ardella is a vampire."


	3. Chapter III

"A vampire? How is that possible?"

Ardella's voice held traces of panic and disbelief, not knowing what to think of such an incomprehensible statement. Her brothers, too, appeared stricken with dread, but lacked skepticism. As the Healer didn't seem want to say anymore, it was Damien that answered.

"You probably haven't studied it yet, but I'm sure you know how a werewolf is created?"

"Of course, the werewolf curse is passed on by a werewolf biting a witch or muggle during the full moon when they've transformed," her explanation was short and precise; she hadn't been placed in Ravenclaw for nothing.

"Yes, that's true. Do you know much about vampires?"

"No, we haven't covered anything about vampires in lessons, and I haven't researched them in my spare time."

"Well, what most people don't know is that the vampire curse is carried on the same way as the werewolves. If you're bitten by a vampire, and they don't drink enough blood to kill you, then you become one."

This statement was met with a stifling silence, no one knowing what to say in a situation such as this. The Healer and Damien were crestfallen; they had known what was coming but had hoped they were wrong. Meanwhile Dimitri tightly gripped Ardella's small, pale hand in his own larger one; hanging on as though he expected her to up and vanish at any moment. Ardella herself appeared a little green like she was about to be sick. After a moment, recognition seemed to flit across her features and the others started when she leaped up from the bed to stand before the Healer.

"Wait the goblet you gave me. It wasn't, it couldn't be," her tone was confused and desperate, hoping she wasn't right but knowing deep down that there was no other reasonable conclusion. Though she didn't voice the word, everyone knew what she had meant. Blood.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid it was," the Healer shook his head in sadness and there was another bought of silence in which Ardella sunk into one of the chairs besides the bed.

"I know this is a lot to take in, and probably the last thing you want to hear after all that's happened," the medic once again twitched in apprehension, "But this means that you'll have to go to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. You'll have to register as a vampire."

If possible, this statement only made everyone more depressed. Ardella had nothing to say on this matter; she had redrawn deep within herself, trying to reason how this could be happening.

_What's happened to me? I'm not even human anymore. I'm a class XXXXX creature; as dangerous as they come. _

These disheartening thoughts only furthered her despair and she could do no more that sit and wonder at the current predicament. The rest of the events of the day blurred together; she faintly recalled the doctor going on about changes in physical appearance and diet before releasing her. Her brothers guided her out of St. Mungo's, both of them offering words of consolation and support, saying they would love her no matter what she was.

But it didn't help.

Nothing anybody said would help or make her feel better. Words couldn't get rid of the cold, empty void that had taken root deep inside her chest, full of darkness and shadow, which left her feeling numb and lifeless. She was a crazed, blood-thirsty beast; nothing could change that insensitive fact. Her once wonderful life was gone. Her parents were dead and Fate had seen to charge her with this cruel existence; a mockery of the life she one lived.

They soon arrived at the Sterling Manor, though Ardella didn't pay attention to how they got there, and Dimitri led her up the spiraling stairs of the West Tower all the way to the top where her room was situated. He guided her over to sit on her bed and questioned if she needed or wanted anything but was met with silence and, taking it as his cue to leave, retreated leaving Ardella to her thoughts. She continued to sit unmoving before getting up to switch off the light and blow out the candles scattered across the room. She might as well get used to the dark as she was now a creature of the night. Turning back to sit on the bed so she could contemplate her tormented thoughts, her eye caught sight of a picture on her bedside table. Picking it up, her lips twitched in a semblance of a smile as she recalled the memory.

She had been six at the time, Damien and Dimitri fourteen and eleven respectively. Both had been packing up their things, preparing to depart to Hogwarts, and she had been throwing a fit because she couldn't go. It was Dimitri's first year and she had begged and pleaded with their parents to let her go too as she didn't want to be left out. She had wailed and cried in her mother's arms as her father tried to cheer her up and distract her from her brothers while they loaded their belongings on the Hogwarts Express. After Damien and Dimitri had departed, her parents had taken her to Diagon Alley where they treated her to a day of shopping. The picture depicted her and her parents sitting at a table outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, her with ice cream smeared across her grinning face and her father laughing as his wife tried in vain to wipe it all off.

Ardella cherished the memory. Her father worked for the Ministry and it was rare for him to be able to take a day off. It was one of the few times she had been able to spend time with both of her parents outside of the house. Putting down the photograph, she took a minute to examine her room; a large circular room with high arched ceilings, indigo and sapphire, gossamer material draped across it that twinkled in an impression of the night sky. She had a small writing desk, dresser, and two tall bookshelves, not a single space open for more books. Nestled on the far side of the room was her nightstand and bed, piled high with soft pillows and goose-feather coverlets. Her mother had helped her decorate the room and together they had bedecked it in varying shades of navy, indigo, and violet, accented with the occasional cream or grey.

Thinking of her parents and all her happy memories of them brought up an unexplainable burst of rage. Grabbing the closet object, which happened to be a lamp, she threw it at the wall with every ounce of force she possessed, enjoying the resounding crash as it ruptured into thousands of minuscule, ceramic pieces. This, however, was not enough to satisfy the boiling anger and she proceeded to destroy her room; knocking over furniture, throwing objects, ripping up blankets, and tearing open pillows until she was left panting in a pile of feathers and debris. Looking around her room again it looked as if someone had conjured a tornado to spin around her room and destroy everything in its path. As she looked around, her unexplainable anger gave way to be replaced with grief and regret. Throwing herself upon her destroyed bed, she cried.

She cried for her parents and the awful predicament she was now in. She cried for all the things she never told her parents before they were taken away. But most of all, she cried for the future.

Her life was now irrevocably changed whether she wanted to admit it or not. Becoming a vampire would destroy the family name and prevent her from pursuing a good career, not that her family was in any shortage of money. She could live the rest of her life on family's fortune, but she had never wanted to. She had always wanted to get a job and make her own way, not live off her family's reputation. As for the near future, she probably would be kicked out of Hogwarts, unable to learn and train in magic with her former classmates for fear she might attack a fellow student. In every way that counted, her life was over. She would be unable to continue growing up like any normal witch or wizard, despite her brothers assurances that nothing had changed. But they were wrong. _Everything has changed_.

She continued to sob and wonder what the future would, or wouldn't hold for her until the early hours of the morning when she finally gave in to Hypnos's call, falling into a deep and troubled sleep where she experienced the first nightmare of many to come.

_She ran through the twisted hallways of her home, the same halls she had played in and memorized when she was a small girl, only now she had no idea of her whereabouts or where she was headed, only that she must get to her destination. Briefly, she wondered why the floor was obscured by a silvery, rolling mist, but ignored it and continued on her quest. She knew not why she sprinted around corners and down stairs rather than walk and evaluate her surroundings so that she might discover where she was; she only knew that if she stopped something terrible would occur. So she continued in her rapid pace, passing numerous doors and windows, every hallway she passed the same as the one before it. Just when she was about to give up hope of finding her destination, surrendering to the fact that she would be stuck in the maze of corridors for all eternity, she heard an eerie, yet melodious voice calling in the distance. _

Once full of love and laughter,  
Now it does not matter.  
Darkness has grasped the soul,  
Preventing the heart's goal,  
Of living happily ever after.

_She hastened towards the nameless voice, somewhere in her mind it registered as one she knew, but she was in too much of a hurry to ponder over where she had heard it before. As she ran, faster and faster, the peculiar poem song continued, growing louder with each step but she did not listen to hear its warning._

The days have grown dark as night,  
All hopes drowned in fright.  
Friendless and alone,  
The surroundings are unknown,  
Nothing familiar in sight_._

_The voice was extremely close now and the fog had grown so thick she could no longer see her feet, the mist curling up and around her calves. Despite the sudden drop in temperature and the goosebumps rising on the skin of her bare arms, she dashed forward, disregarding the clear signs of danger ahead. There, at the end of the hall was a door, slightly ajar so that a soft light and fog poured into the hallway. It wasn't one that was familiar to her, but she knew it was the door she needed._

All that was loved is gone,  
Never to see another dawn.

_She was nearly there. The hair on her neck stood on end as she got nearer and nearer to her destination. The voice was only a few yards away and soon she would discover what was drawing her to this particular room. _

Life has become a nightmare,  
Reality and insanity the perfect pair.

_She reached out a hand and pushed open the door to reveal who had called her to this spot just as the last verse flitted through the air. _

Never again a smile shall I don.

_At first she didn't see anything; the room was dark and the only light came from a single sconce on the wall. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, but once it had she fervently wished they hadn't._

_Bodies. _

_Dozens of bodies lay scattered about the room, blood splattered across every surface. The bodies were horribly mutilated, enormous gashes and wounds that showed bone, muscle, and organs; wounds too deep and serious for any spell to heal. Though the bodies were disfigured, the faces were left untouched, allowing her to see there were men and woman of every shape and color deposited around the room, each with a look of horror frozen forever on their lifeless faces. To her disgust she also identified a few smaller bodies; young children who were too innocent to deserve such a wicked fate. _

_Despite that each person had been torn to shreds in a different fashion, one thing about them was the same. Every neck had two, neat puncture wounds. She continued to observe all the faces before her eyes fell on a man. She felt as if someone had punched her in the gut. Amongst the carnage her eyes had landed on a man with dark curls and wide sapphire eyes, not so different from her own. Not far away lay the body of a beautiful blonde woman, mouth open in a silent scream, her blank emerald eyes transfixed on the ceiling. The sight of her parents bodies was too much, causing her to fall to her knees amongst blood and other bodily fluids as she emptied her stomach over the floor. Once she had dispelled all her stomach's contents, she sat back on her calves to look around the room, suddenly wondering where the voice had come from. Her first scan of the room proved it to hold no one but her and the bodies, but upon the second sweep she noticed a chair in a corner with a body that was different than the rest. The face was masked by shadows so she couldn't see their terror-stricken face or the wounds on the neck, but the rest of the body was splattered with crimson. Despite this, the body appeared different than the rest. She wondered what could possibly be different and then the obvious answer clicked in her mind._

_The body was slathered in fresh blood, but there were no wounds. _

_This frightening revelation caused her to topple over backwards in surprise, the movement eliciting a bone-chilling chuckle from the corner that made her skin crawl._

"_Who are you? Did you do this?"_

_The figured appeared amused by her nervous questions as it let out another laugh, but did not give an answer. Taking this to mean that they were responsible for the gruesome carnage in front of her, she inquired after the stranger again._

"_Why did you do it? How could you do something so terrible?"_

_The familiar voice answered._

"_I didn't do this."_

"_What do you mean? Of course you did. You're covered in blood but don't have a scratch on you," she tried to reason with them, after all there was no other explanation. They, however seemed to disagree. _

"_I didn't do this."_

"_Yes, you did, you monster! You murdered these people in cold blood," she felt anger welling up inside her and carefully stood up on shaky legs. "You killed children. How can you live with yourself?"_

_Once again the voice repeated:_

"_I didn't do this."_

"_You liar! If you didn't do it, who did?"_

_The stranger leaned forward a bit in the chair, allowing her to see the bottom half of the face, a disturbingly crazed grin stretched across it. The grin set off alarms in her head, and every instinct she had told her to flee from the room and not look back, but she didn't move. She was frozen in place, unable to move even if she wished it, and deep down some part of her wanted to see what kind of person could commit such a heinous act. The figure grasped the arms of the chair before pushing off to stand completely in the light cast by the lone candle. Her face turned from one of anger to disbelief and horror as she took in the stranger and she fell back on the floor in, unable to speak when they answered her question. _

"_You did."_

_Standing before her was an almost perfect replica of herself; petite figure, pale skin, and long ebony locks. Despite the obvious similarity, there were some differences. The nails were tapered to long points, no doubt able to rip through flesh and muscle, and blood was smeared around a smirking mouth that revealed long, sharp fangs. But most noticeable were the eyes._

_The color of fresh blood, they glowed in the darkness and had a crazed look in them. This person couldn't possibly be her, no matter what they claimed._

"_You-you're lying," her voice had lost its previous strength and conviction; the uncanny resemblance making her question her thoughts. The stranger (she refused to believe it was her) seemed to find the whole thing humorous as she tipped back her head to release another unsettling shriek of laughter. _

"_Pathetic," she commented, "I am what you will become. Soon you'll discover your foolish morals and ideals of what's right and wrong are useless. The only thing that matters in this world is how strong you are. You have to let go of your old self and embrace the new, more powerful you."_

_Ardella shook her head back and forth. She couldn't, _wouldn't_, believe this maniac. _

"_No, no. You're lying."_

"_Think what you will, it'll only be a matter of time until you give in." She gave another chuckle as Ardella continued her muttered denial._

"_No, no," the sinister laughter filled the room, mocking the dead, frightened faces._

"_NO!"_

Tears sprang from tightly squeezed eyelids as she twisted, and writhed on the floor.

"Ardella, what happened? Ardella!"She felt a hand grasp her shoulder, frantically shaking her. She let out a shrill scream, fearing her other self had decided to get rid of her.

"No, no! Leave me alone!"

"Ardella!" Hands grabbed her shoulders and legs, pushing her flat on her back so that she could no longer thrash about. Releasing a piercing scream, her eyes flew open, wildly darting back and forth in a frantic search for an escape.

Despite the fact that her eyes were now open, she didn't see the world in front of her; Damien and Dimitri concurrently trying to wake her and prevent her from hurting herself on the wreckage still spread throughout the room. All she could see was her nightmare. Dead bodies littered everywhere, their terrified faces warning her if she didn't flee soon her fate would be the same. She could still envision the frightful image of herself, deranged and blood-thirsty; sardonic laughter echoing within her mind.

She continued in her fit for many more minutes before her screams became shorter, her breath labored and vision fuzzy at the lack of oxygen. Foregoing her shrieks to gulp in as much air as possible, it wasn't much longer before her surrounding began to come into focus; bodies reforming into broken furniture and the laughter dying down to a cruel whisper. Ardella now saw her brothers, hovering worriedly over her and asking if she was alright. The only thing that remained from the nightmare was her other self, standing on the far side of the room, a contemptuous smirk painted on her lips. She gave one last grin, showing sharpened canines stained with blood, before she too faded into shadow.

Her brothers hadn't asked her what she had dreamed or why her room was in shambles. Dimitri just sat with her on her bed, holding her in a tight embrace and whispering that everything would be alright as Damien waved and flicked his wand, returning the room to its previous state. No one spoke as they all huddled into Ardella's king sized bed, holding on to one another in shared grief for all that had happened over the past few days.

Ardella experienced more nightmares as the days went by, sometimes seeing her parents and other times wandering through foggy wilderness. However, one element was present in all her dreams; her other self. No matter the location, The Demon, as she had come to call it, was always there wearing that deranged smirk and slathered in fresh blood. Some nights she taunted Ardella with promises that soon Ardella would give in to her blood-cravings, and other times she simply followed her wherever she went; a constant reminder that she would always be present. Though they were always horrid and led her to wake screaming, her nightmares soon became less frequent and Ardella occasionally had nights that were blissfully dream-free.

Two weeks after she was released from St. Mungo's, Lysander and Valissa were properly buried. Many people came to grieve the loss of the two high-standing wizards who, despite their wealth and blood status, were uncommonly generous and kind. In fact, the Weasleys, who many pure-blooded wizarding families considered blood-traitors, had always been good friends with the Sterlings and had attended the funeral. Ardella had always been on good terms with the Weasley children, particularly the twins, but she spent the majority of the funeral avoiding them all; she was simply too depressed and melancholy to be around them, especially when she knew they'd try to cheer her up. However, despite her attempts, Ardella had run into Ron, who was in her year. She briefly spoke with him and, though he wasn't the most tactful person, he offered his condolences and said he hoped to see her when school started again. This comment had left Ardella speechless. How could she have forgotten? Surely Hogwarts would never accept a vampire. Nodding her head and muttering something about hoping to see him as well, she made a quick excuse about finding her brothers before retreating to the Manor, for the moment wishing to be alone. In spite of her nightmares lessening and her coming to terms with her parents' deaths, one matter wasn't improving. If anything, it was only worsening.

Her skin had become so pale it was well on its way to being translucent; turquoise and purple veins extraordinarily visible on her wrists as well as the creases of her elbows and knees. Nails, once prone to breaking and chipping, now grew at an alarming rate and were durable and perfectly shaped; any woman would be jealous of such perfect nails that required no manicures. Her hair seemed to grow just as fast as her nails and had become thick and full, the beautifully glossy strands now nearly to her waist. Her beautiful sapphire eyes, the same as her father's and Damien's, had also changed, now an eerie shade of violet. As each day passed the violet blocked out the blue and Ardella feared one morning she would look in the mirror to find blood-red irises staring back at her.

Besides her outward appearance, other changes had also occurred. Her sight, though never having required glasses, had increased tenfold. She could now see further and better, even in poor lighting. Her hearing and sense of smell had also improved; often times she could hear people's footfalls and smell them long before they reached her. She also seemed to not require as much sleep or food as she used to. She now only slept a few hours but, under the constant watch of her brothers, was always forced to consume three full meals each day. Both Damien and Dimitri seemed to believe Ardella was wasting away and insisted that she ate hearty meals, but it did little good as she was still slim. However the most disturbing change was while she continued to eat all the foods she used too, it no longer filled her. It seemed no matter what she ate, there was always that faint burn in her throat. Never was it as strong as the day she had woke in the hospital, but it was always there; an irritating itch that couldn't be scratched.

Ardella knew it was caused by her body's desire for blood. She hadn't consumed any since the day the Healer had given some to her as a confirmation of her condition, but she could still envision it in her mind. Her very soul craved the wonderful liquid that all at once set her body on fire and cooled the burn. Blood for her was like a drug; one that she was helplessly and irreversibly addicted to.

In order to solve this dilemma without killing people, she had made arrangements with St. Mungo's, who would send bags of donated blood. The hospital could only keep blood for so long before it was deemed expired and rather than throw it out, they would send it to her and others in her situation. While organizing this deal, the Healer had also mentioned that she would have to train her body to resist blood to an extent so, with the proper control, she would only require a blood supply once every month. To begin her training, Ardella had searched through the Sterling library, grabbing everything and anything that had to do with vampires. She also had Dimitri bringing home dozens of book each day from Flourish and Blott's, where he conveniently worked, her help her cause. She spent hours on end locked away in her room, surrounded by a small library of books and tomes as she researched everything she could get her hands on. In the past two weeks, she had discovered quite a bit.

Contrary to popular belief, vampires did not burst to flames when in sunlight. Though it was a bit uncomfortable, as Ardella had learned firsthand, sunlight did nothing more than make a vampire a bit drowsy and lethargic. Also, vampires were not affected by garlic, holy water, or sacred ground. Nor did they sleep in coffins or require an invitation to enter someone's home. They were not immortal, though they did have some resilience to magic due to their durable skin and tended to live quite a long time, even according to wizard's standards. She had a reflection and she wasn't part of the living dead. It seemed that many beliefs about vampires had been nothing more than superstitious muggle nonsense. In fact, the only thing they had gotten right was the blood drinking. Although, Ardella secretly suspected that they may have been right about one other thing. How could something the required the blood of others to live, possess a soul? The first time she had mentioned it to her brothers they had quickly dismissed the matter. They claimed that the fact that she considered herself monstrous (though they quickly shot down that suggestion as well) was proof enough that she had a soul.

"After all," Dimitri remarked, sounding every bit the Ravenclaw he had been, "a soul-less being wouldn't care about morals and the differences between right and wrong. "

The way he had worded it immediately took her back to what The Demon had told her in her nightmare.

"_Soon you'll discover your foolish morals and ideals of what's right and wrong are useless. The only thing that matters in this world is how strong you are. You have to let go of your old self and embrace the new, more powerful you."_

Ardella didn't believe this was coincidence, but shoved these thoughts to the back of her mind, instead agreeing with her brothers' logic if only to shut them up. But she was unable to stop thinking about what The Demon had said and deep down inside she still believed she was an abomination unworthy to live among those with their souls still intact.

A week or two after the Sterlings' funeral, Damien informed Ardella over breakfast that she'd be going to work with him that day.

"I've pushed the appointment back as far as possible, but if we don't get you registered soon we'll have more trouble than we can handle."

Ardella nodded, struck silent by the realization that she would now be, in the view of the magical community, a being that must be registered so that the Ministry could keep an eye on her. If anything, this only reinforced her suspicions that she no longer belonged among other witches and wizards. Dimitri, the more sensitive of her brothers, immediately picked up on her sudden depression.

"Yeah, I think I'll take the morning off and go with you two." He received a puzzled look from Damien who, despite being a loving and wonderful brother, wasn't exactly quick on the uptake. Ardella gave a small smile, grateful for Dimitri's intuition and amused by Damien's cluelessness.

So the three of them quickly finished off their breakfasts and then used the Floo Network which transported them directly to the Atrium of the Ministry. Ardella hadn't been to the Ministry since she was a young girl and took a moment to look around. The walls and floors were constructed of beautiful dark wood that was polished so that you could nearly see your reflection in it. The walls were lined with many fireplaces, where they had just emerged, and looking up at the blue ceiling, Ardella saw strange golden symbols dancing across it which were continuously changing. In the middle of the hall was a large golden fountain that depicted a wizard surrounded by a witch, goblin, centaur, and house-elf.

Damien led them left of the fountain to a small security desk where there sat a decidedly bored-looking wizard.

"Names and business," he drawled, clearly not finding his job to be interesting. Ardella and Dimitri gave their names (Damien was exempt as he worked at the Ministry) and the wizard punched some buttons on a small box-like contraption. It sputtered a moment before depositing two silver badges with their names on them, which the two pinned on their robes.

"Alright, little lady, you first. Stand o'er here, please," the wizard's voice and actions seemed to be automatic. After doing the same thing every day, things probably became mechanical. Standing to the side of the security desk, the wizard ran a thin, golden rod in front of and behind Ardella. Apparently passing the inspection, she stepped aside and the process was repeated on Dimitri.

"Okay, now I need ya' wands."

He took both and one by one, placed them in a dish that then produced a sort of blueprint of their wands. After confirming the information to be correct, the bored wizard returned their wands and told them they were free to continue.

Finished with security, Damien guided them to a side hall where they quickly shoved their way into one of the many lifts. As they headed to the correct floor, Ardella tried her distract herself and looked up to observe a number of lavender paper airplanes marked MINISTRY hovering in the lift, coming and going as they stopped at each floor. They stayed on the lift until they reached level four. A melodious woman's voice sounded as the elevator stopped.

"Level four, Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, incorporating Beast, Being, and Spirit Divisions, Goblin Liaison Office, and Pest Advisory Bureau."

They seemed to be the only ones getting off on this floor, so they politely squirmed through the crowd of witches and wizards to exit the lift. They walked down a few hallways, twisting left and right and after a while Ardella found herself thinking that she wouldn't have been able to find her way back out alone if she'd tried. A moment later found them standing outside a door marked _Being Division_. Her stomach began to twist and turn into convoluted knots and she suddenly found herself extremely nervous and jittery.

"Good mornin'," a small plump witch behind a desk greeted merrily once they entered the office, "What can I help you folks with today?"

"We need to talk with someone from Vampire Registration."

"Ah, down the hallway on your left. Follow it all the way to the end and you'll find the office."

The witch's tone was still pleasant as if she wasn't disgusted by the knowledge that one of the individuals in front of her was a blood-thirsty beast. In fact, when Ardella walked past the desk, the lady wordlessly offered her a basket full of lollipops with a kind smile on her face. Wondering if the woman thought her a child, but not wanting to be rude, Ardella took one of the suckers, attempting a nervous grin.

"Don't worry, dearie, you'll be just fine," the secretary gave a reassuring grin and then gestured for Ardella to follow her brothers. She briefly wondered how the witch had known she was the vampire, but figured her white skin and violet eyes gave her away. As she scurried to catch up with her brothers' long strides, she glanced down at the sucker in her grasp and had to clap a hand over mouth to prevent bursting into uncontrollable giggles. The witch had given her a Blood-flavored Lollipop. Grinning at the secretary's humor, she quickly slipped it into her robe pocket for later and briefly wondered if a vampire could satisfy their blood cravings on blood pops alone. _I'll have to test that theory later_. Her thoughts were interrupted as they reached a door labeled _Vampire Registration_.

Feeling some of her anxiety return she quietly hoped that whoever was in charge of registering vampires was as kind and light-hearted as the secretary. However, once Damien opened the door to reveal an elderly, stern-faced wizard, she highly doubted it. The short, graying man was dressed in plain black robes with a pair of small, round spectacles perched on his nose and was buried behind towers of precariously stacked papers that looked as though one wrong move would send them all tumbling to the floor.

"Hello, we're here to register my sister," Damien addressed the wizard, who looked up from a pile of documents to scrutinize the people in his office over the top of his spectacles.

"Well of course you are," the wizard's voice was as abrupt and stern as his appearance foreshadowed. "Why else would you be here if not to register a vampire, huh?"

Obviously taken aback by the severe tone, Damien open and closed his mouth, searching for something to say.

"Don't just stand there gaping like a fish, boy! Let's get this over with. I have things to do that don't include being stared at like a circus sideshow."

"Oh, no- I didn't mean-," he stuttered, unable to form a coherent sentence. Fortunately, Dimitri spoke up to save the eldest Sterling from anymore scathing remarks.

"Of course, sir. Just show us what we need to do and then we'll be out of your way as soon as possible."

The wizard, Demetrius Creswell according to the nameplate on his desk, shuffled through stacks of papers whilst muttering something about "this one at least has some sense." Ardella quickly stifled a giggle as Dimitri threw a delighted grin in his brother's direction. Resigning to the fact that it'd be best if he didn't say anything else, Damien headed over to wait in one of the chairs lined against the wall.

"Ah-ha," Creswell poked his head out from the mountain of paperwork, gripping a small stack of papers in his fist. "Here we are."

They then spent the next hour going over various forms and oaths that the Ministry deemed necessary in order to protect muggles and wizards alike. By the time it was all completed, Ardella had copied statements, initialed agreements, and signed her name on dozens of legal forms. Mr. Creswell had carefully observed her signing each paper and, deeming them legitimate, stacked them nicely in a manila folder marked _Sterling, Ardella L._

"Right, now all that's left is for two witness forms to verify that she has done this properly and legally."

Damien, who had spent the entire hour sitting quietly in a chair, tentatively stepped forward and snatched the three page packet before Mr. Creswell could find fault in him and began to fill it out as Dimitri completed the other. As their forms were considerably shorter, it was only another ten minutes before Mr. Creswell added the two packets to the folder and filed it away in one of the many cabinets scattered throughout the office. He then shooed them out, reiterating his previous statement of other things to attend to.

The Sterling siblings obliged, and headed back out through the maze of hallways, Ardella waving to the cheery secretary on the way out, feeling much more optimistic and joyous than she had that morning. Apparently registering as a vampire wasn't as terrible as she had thought; no one had avoided her like the plague, sneered at her in repulsion, nor shot scornful glares in her direction. Maybe her brothers were right; maybe things wouldn't be so bad.

Shuffling towards the lifts, Damien bade them a quick goodbye before stepping on one that would take him to level three, Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, where he worked as an Obliviator. Dimitri and Ardella stepped on a separate lift, riding all the way down until they reached the Atrium and depositing their badges at the security's desk before using one of the many gilded fireplaces to return to Sterling Manor.

Ardella had just stepped into the drawing room, dusting soot off her robe when a house-elf wearing a pillow sheet like a toga walked in the room with an envelope.

"Miss Sterling," Ardella turned towards the elf upon hearing the squeaky voice. "A letter has come while Miss was away."

"Thank you, Twinkle." Ardella took the letter from the house-elf and turned to sit on a one of the chaise lounges as Dimitri toppled out of the fireplace. Shaking his blond head to rid it of ashes, he inquired who the letter was from.

"I have no idea. Perhaps Lyra sent me a letter," she mused; her best friend and roommate the only person she could think that would send her a letter. Glancing down at the envelope, she nearly dropped it when she saw the familiar emerald-green writing. This was it. This letter would confirm her fears of being expelled. No more would she ride the Hogwarts Express to arrive at the magnificent castle that never ceased to amaze her. No more would she wander the marble hallways and learn about charms, potions, and transfiguration.

Though her spirits had been lifted from the pleasant trip to the Ministry, it was naїve of her to believe that Dumbledore would risk his student's safety by admitting a vampire into the school.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" Dimitri questioned, giving his sister a puzzled look.

"Yes," her soft voice quivered, "Yes, of course."

Deciding it was best to just get this over with as soon as possible, she broke the purple, wax seal embossed with the Hogwarts crest, and pulled out four sheets of parchment. Her jaw dropped open when she looked at the first one, which read:

_Dear Miss Sterling,_

_Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross station, platform nine and three-quarters, at eleven o'clock._

_Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian to sign._

_ A list of books for next year is enclosed._

_ Yours sincerely,_

_Professor M. McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress_

Surely this must be some sort of mistake. Dimitri asked what was wrong, but she ignored him, quickly looking over the next parchment. As the previous letter had said, it was a list of books that she would need for the new school year which listed titles like: _Unfogging the Future, Intermediate Transfiguration, _and _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Three_. Quickly flipping to the next sheet, she discovered a permission form for visiting Hogsmeade, which had also been mentioned in the first letter. However, there was still one more parchment. Unfolding it, she discovered a note written in a thin, slanting script.

_Dear Miss Sterling,_

_I am terribly sorry to hear news of your loss and offer my condolences. Lysander and Valissa were among the finest students I had the pleasure of teaching._

_I would like to conduct a meeting before the school term starts so that we might discuss your personal problem. At that time we can also make arrangements for you during the school year to attend to your special diet. _

_Please send your reply with a date for the meeting._

_ Yours sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore  
Headmaster_

To say she was shocked would be an understatement. Dumbledore actually wanted to admit her back to school, despite her vampirism? Her confusion and disbelief overwhelming, Ardella leaned back into the soft cushions of the lounge and wordlessly passed the parchment to a very bemused Dimitri who had been hovering over her, impatiently trying to see what the envelope contained.


	4. Chapter IV

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, but Ardella, the Sterling family, and plot belong to me.**

* * *

"Ardella, hurry up! We're gonna be late if you don't get moving!"

A large mountain of navy and violet covers shifted in response to the shout and a moment later a head of long ebony hair poked up from the dark confines and sluggishly glanced about the room. Hands pale as snow emerged as well before pushing back the mound of sheets and blankets to reveal a groggy and bemused Ardella. She had slept well that night; completely free of any nightmares or frightening alternate personas. In fact, it had been quite a while since she had last woken in the middle of the night due to a fitful sleep. Hopefully this meant that she was slowly coping with what had happened over a month ago. Hearing another impatient shout from downstairs, Ardella quickly hopped out of bed and prepared for the day.

It had been nearly three weeks since she had received the letter that renewed her hope for a normal existence. She had quickly responded to Dumbledore's letter and today was the day she was to meet him and go over plans for the upcoming school year.

Taking a quick shower, Ardella immediately pulled on the clothes she had set out the previous evening; a simple pair of skinny jeans and t-shirt along with a pair of slip-on shoes. She had opted to dress in muggle fashion today as she found it to be more comfortable than robes. Unlike most pure-blooded, wizarding families, the Sterlings did not look down on muggles or muggle-born witches and wizards. In fact, Ardella had nearly signed up for Muggle Studies but decided not to when she realized it would result in a filled and hectic schedule.

Grabbing a pale, grey cloak from her wardrobe, she quickly fastened the silver clasp at the neck and checked her appearance in the mirror.

"You look lovely, dear," it commented in a motherly fashion.

"Thank you."

Satisfied with her reflection and the mirror's input, she spun on her heel and hurried out the door, dashing down the long, winding staircase. Nearing the bottom, she leaped, soaring over the last seven steps to land in front of Dimitri. She was beginning to find that being a vampire did have its perks.

"About time. Any longer and we'd have missed our appointment," he glanced over her and noticed her still wet hair which was starting to dampen the back of her cloak. He raised his eyebrow at her and it took a moment for her to realize what he was staring at.

"Oh, I figured I wouldn't have time to dry it. Would you mind?" Dimitri grumbled something about ungrateful sisters taking advantage of their older brothers, but pulled out his wand nevertheless and muttered a few quick drying spells to sap the liquid from both her hair and cloak. Once he was finished, her hair fell straight and dry, now resting just past her waist. Dimitri eyed her hair critically before commenting on it.

"You're gonna have to be sure to cut your hair every once in a while. At the rate it's growing it'll be down to your knees in two months time," he tried to act serious, his tone slightly pompous, but the grin slowing stretching across his face gave away his humor.

"Glad you find it funny," she snapped haughtily but, like her brother, was terrible at concealing her amusement.

Grinning at each other, the two headed to the parlor room and each grabbed a handful of Floo powder. Dumbledore had written back telling them to Floo directly to his office that would be, temporarily, lifted of enchantments that normally blocked unwanted visitors. One at a time they threw the sparkling Floo powder into the fireplace, stepping in and shouting, "Headmaster's office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" before being whirled away in a flash of emerald flame and soot.

Ardella began to feel queasy as she spun round and round, blurred colors the only thing her eyes could perceive of other fireplaces and the rooms beyond. Just when she thought she might be sick, the spinning stopped and she found herself standing in a large, circular office. Taking a quick glance around, she found Dumbledore was not yet present so took a moment to look around just as Dimitri stumbled out of the fireplace. All around the room were scattered many little tables, each with various silver instruments that made funny noises and emitted small puffs of smoke, and adorning the walls were portraits of all Hogwarts' previous Headmasters and Headmistresses, who glanced down curiously at the newcomers. In the middle of the office was a large, claw foot desk and behind it a large shelf that held books and other items, including the Sorting Hat. However, the room's most interesting object was a golden perch upon which sat a magnificent bird. Its plumage was a mix of scarlet and gold giving it a fiery appearance and easily identifying it as a phoenix.

Having never seen one in person before, Ardella tentatively stepped towards the bird and reached out a hand, waiting a moment to see if the bird would protest but it only tilted its head to observe her. Taking this to mean it wouldn't mistake her hand for a snack, she softly stroked the soft, crimson feathers on its head. A shiver passed down its back as it gently ruffled it wings and leaned closer to her hand, apparently enjoying the attention. So absorbed by the graceful creature in front of her, Ardella's sensitive ears failed to pick up on the nearing footsteps nearly causing her to scream when a voice spoke behind her.

"I see you've met Fawkes," Ardella spun around to see Dumbledore standing there, dressed in navy blue robes with stars that sparkled when he moved. She expected him to be slightly upset that she had taken the liberty to pet his bird without asking permission, but he only smiled at her over his half-moon spectacles and walked over to sit in the tall, winged chair situated behind his desk.

"Please, both of you have a seat," There had been only one chair in front of his desk, but as he spoke he waved a hand, conjuring another chair to sit besides the first.

"Would either of you like any tea?" Both Ardella and Dimitri politely declined as they lowered themselves into the chairs and waited for Dumbledore to continue. "Right well let's get down to business then. We're here to discuss how you will cope with your vampirism while at school," he addressed Ardella, his voice holding no hint of malice or disgust at her condition.

Despite the letters she had received, clearly stating that she was expected to return in the fall, and this meeting to work around her issues, Ardella couldn't help but voice her concerns.

"Excuse me, Professor, but why are you not expelling me? I mean, I'm a vampire. By allowing me to return to Hogwarts, aren't you putting the other students in danger?" She didn't know how she expected the Headmaster to respond to such a comment. _Maybe he'll come to his senses and demand that I leave the school grounds immediately and never come back_. What she didn't anticipate was the kind smile that adorned his face, his blue eyes twinkling with barely concealed amusement as though he could hear her thoughts.

"Miss Sterling, do you believe yourself to be a danger to the other students?"

His simple question threw her off guard. Currently, she received a blood donation from St. Mungo's every two weeks and so far she hadn't felt the urge to attack her brother or one of the house-elves for a little snack. In fact, besides the changes in her appearance and senses and a preference to have her steaks rare, she felt almost like nothing was different.

"Well no-,"

"So then what reason would I have to expel you?"

"But, I'm a vampire. Surely no one wants to risk having a blood-thirsty beast in their school that might murder a fellow student."

"Miss Sterling, I find myself a bit confused. Do you no longer wish to attend Hogwarts?"

"Of course I do! I love it here and would do anything to stay here."

"Then why, pray tell, are you trying so hard to persuade me to not allow you admittance?"

Once again his blunt question left her speechless. Clearly Dumbledore was willing to give her a chance to prove that she wasn't a complete monster just yet, and here she was trying to convince him to kick her out. _Some Ravenclaw you are_.

"I, I don't know, sir," Ardella finally voiced. "I suppose I just expected you to view me as a half-breed that was too dangerous to keep around," Dumbledore seemed slightly disappointed at her admittance and Dimitri, who until now had remained silent, immediately spoke up.

"How many times do Damien and I have to tell you Ardella? No matter how you look or how your diet changes, you're still _you_," He reached over to grasp her hand in his own and she offered an apologetic smile. Dumbledore cleared his throat and the two turned their attentions back to the Professor.

"Ardella," she started slightly; professors rarely referred to students by their first names, "something happened to you which you could not prevent, and it would be wrong of me to punish you for something you had no say in. While I understand why you might come to the conclusion that most people would react that way, I have never been one to judge a person's character based on who or what they are. As long as you believe you are in control, you have my complete faith in you."

His words caused Ardella's eyes to become misty with unshed tears of gratitude, and she could only manage a shaky, "Thank you, sir," as she tried to blink away the unwanted tears. Managing to reign her emotions under control she turned back to the Headmaster, grateful to him for his deep kindness.

"In fact, Miss Sterling, you might find my appointment for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post to be a rather intriguing fellow."

"Oh? Why is that, sir?"

"That isn't my place to tell you, but I'm sure you'll soon discover it. Between you and Miss Granger I daresay we have some of the most intelligent students in Europe."

"Thank you again, Professor," she grinned at the praise. "I suppose we should start discussing possible arrangements concerning my _special_ eating habits now?"

"Yes, yes of course. Now how often do you require blood and where do you receive it from?"

Ardella quickly explained the current deal she had with St. Mungo's and Dumbledore looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before replying.

"You said soon you would only require a supply once a month?"

"That's correct, sir. The Healer at St. Mungo's said that with the progress I've made I'd probably only need one packet a month by the end of August," the Headmaster seemed elated by this news.

"Well, that works out just fine. We can have your shipments sent to the school as soon as the new term starts. To avoid looking suspicious, I'll arrange for the packets to be delivered to Professor Snape. As he teaches Potions, he often orders all manner of strange ingredients. Once it's been delivered, Professor Snape will inform you so you can retrieve it from his office after your classes."

Ardella thought a moment, looking at the plan from every angle to insure there was no risk of others finding out her secret. After some careful thinking she determined the only one who would discover the truth would be Professor Snape.

"Sir, would Professor Snape know of my condition then?" She wasn't sure she liked the idea of a professor knowing, least of all the potions master. While Professor Snape really only tormented the Gryffindors, in particular Harry Potter, she didn't need a reason for him to start indiscriminately taking away points from Ravenclaw as well. Which was likely to happen as Ardella didn't see the brooding professor as being a particularly accepting individual.

"Yes, I would need to inform Professor Snape on the matter," she tried to hide her apprehension, but Dumbledore saw through it and continued. "Don't worry Miss Sterling. I have the upmost faith in Professor Snape and I assure you that he will not treat you with any more disdain than he gives all his students." Ardella had to chuckle at that; it was nice to know that she attended a school with a Headmaster who acknowledged the issues in the school, rather than play ignorant.

"Alright, now on to the last manner of business," the Headmaster continued and pulled a scroll of parchment from his desk to set it before Ardella. "While I do have absolute faith in you and your self control, I still must be cautious."

Both Ardella and Dimitri furrowed their brows at this, not knowing where the Headmaster was headed with this conversation. Tentatively reaching out, Ardella unrolled the parchment and began to scan its contents. After a moment of scrutiny she was surprised to discover that it was a contract of sorts. She shot a quizzical look at the Headmaster who gave a small smile in response.

"While I am completely sympathetic to your unique situation, I'm afraid I still have to be official about it. This is a short contract I drew that requires your consent in order to continue your studies here."

"Of course." Ardella quickly scanned through the document one more time before signing her name at the bottom. Dimitri, as her guardian, also signed the contract before giving it back to the Professor. Rather than take the parchment, Dumbledore gave a quick wave of his wand, and the scroll disappeared with a small _pop!_

"Well, now that we have all that out of the way, everything is set for your third year," Ardella smiled at Dumbledore, trying desperately to convey how grateful she was for the opportunity he was giving her. He gave her a kind grin in response before speaking once more. "Now, as the new term starts in two weeks, I have many things to prepare. I hope you'll forgive me for having to rush you out."

"Of course, sir. We completely understand," Dimitri spoke as rose from his chair, pulling Ardella up as well.

"Goodbye Fawkes," Ardella turned to address the phoenix, quickly stroking the soft feathers along his head and neck before hurrying over to the fireplace where her brother and Dumbledore stood waiting. Dimitri went first, stepping into the grate and shouting "Sterling Manor" before disappearing in emerald flame. Ardella stepped forward to do the same, but turned to the Headmaster and once more to thank him profusely for allowing her to continue her schooling.

"Miss Sterling, remember what I said. The nature of your condition is in no way your fault and therefore you have nothing to thank me for." His voice was still kind, but had a sternness that clearly revealed his dislike for her self-loathing. Giving a nod of understanding, Ardella grabbed a pinch of Floo powder before stepping into the fireplace, watching Dumbledore and his office melt away in a swirl colors as she was consumed by the flames.

Not long after returning home, Dimitri asked Ardella if she was ready to pick up her books and other supplies for the new school year.

"I've got to head into work today, but I still have a few hours until my shift starts. Did you want to tag along and get all your school shopping done?"

Nodding her head enthusiastically, Ardella scurried up to her room to grab the list that had been owled to her before hurrying back to the parlor. A few moments and emerald flames later, Dimitri and Ardella stood in the charismatic, bustling square of Diagon Alley. Glancing at the list of required items, Ardella noted that besides books, there wasn't much else to get besides stocking up on potion ingredients and getting some new robes. Deciding to get books last as Dimitri would have to head to Flourish and Blotts for his shift anyways, the siblings headed over to Slug and Jigger's Apothecary.

Upon entering the shop, Ardella immediately wrinkled her nose in distaste; her new-found sense of smell was not doing her any good in this shop. The shelves were lined with thousands upon thousands of interesting looking things, however each was fouler smelling than the last. Quickly gathering up and paying for the ingredients she'd need, Ardella hurried out the door to breathe in some much needed fresh air.

"What's your problem," Dimitri questioned a moment later after he had meandered outside, fixing his sister with a look that clearly asked if she was insane.

"I thought the shop smelled awful before, but now it's just revolting." Letting out a small chuckle, Dimitri shook his head at Ardella's dramatic antics before proceeding to Madame Malkin's robe shop. Either due to her vampirism, or just being a teenager, Ardella had grown a few inches during the summer and soon found that those few inches made a big difference when it came to the length of her skirt. After entering the store, Madame Malkin herself bustled over in her customary maroon robes.

"What can I do for you, dear?"

"I need some new school robes. I seem to have grown a bit over the summer," Ardella replied to the kind witch as Dimitri settled down into one of the many chairs scattered throughout the shop.

"Yes, of course. Right this way dear," the witch replied, ushering Ardella over to a rack filled with skirts, vests, shirts, and cloaks identical to the ones she'd been wearing the past two years. Shoving one of everything into the young girl's arms, Madame Malkin then proceeded to push Ardella into a dressing room, telling her to come out when she was done so the clothes could be properly tailored. Quickly shoving on the outfit, which was loose and baggy on Ardella's slim frame, she stepped out of the dressing room and headed over where the tiny, tailoring witch was standing beside a small pedestal situated in front of a three-paneled mirror. Hopping up on the dais, Ardella watched her reflection in the mirror as Madame Malkin worked her magic, altering the clothes where necessary. As she worked, the squat witched happily chattered away.

"So, another year at Hogwarts. How I do miss those days. Not so much the schoolwork and classes, but the atmosphere. There was always so much to see and do; always something happening. What year are you going to be in, dear?"

"I'll be starting my third year."

"Third year? Of course that means you'll be able to visit Hogsmeade this year; such a quaint little village. Why, I remember one time in my third year," Madame Malkin began to ramble on about some long-passed tale as Ardella tuned her out, not particularly interested in the story. It wasn't until the talking stopped and Madame Malkin was glancing at her curiously, that Ardella realized that the witch must have asked her something.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

"I asked which house you were in dear. Need to get your colors done," the witch repeated her query with a kind smile.

"Oh, I'm a Ravenclaw."

Hearing this, Madame Malkin gave a small flick of her wand causing the plain black of the tie Ardella wore to fade away until it was striped with navy blue and bronze. A crest also appeared on the chest of both the vest and cloak, displaying a raven with the house name embroidered under it.

"There you are. While you change out of those, I'll prepare you a few more sets."

Scurrying back to the dressing room, Ardella stripped off the uniform before changing back into her clothes. Walking out with the robes slung over her arm, Ardella saw Madame Malkin flick her wand before the uniform zoomed out of her grasp and landed on the checkout corner in a perfectly folded stack beside the rest of her uniforms.

"Will you be needing anything else, dear?" Shaking her head in the negative, Ardella shook Dimitri where he lay dozing off in a nearby chair. After paying for her purchases, the Sterling siblings wandered outside where Ardella abruptly rammed into someone else. Knocked off balance by the sudden shift in her center of gravity, not even her new vampire reflexes could stop Ardella from plummeting to the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut for the impact, however, before she could hit the ground, two hands firmly grasped her wrists and pulled her back up.

"Now, now Ardella, you have to stop being so clumsy," a cheery voice commented from her left.

"Yes, we can't have you running around and knocking into people all the time," a voice, identical to the first, chimed in from her right. Opening her eyes, Ardella glanced up to see two tall, freckled-faced boys with flaming red hair standing before her with playful Cheshire cat smiles. Giving them a grin, Ardella quickly grabbed the boys by their necks to pull them into a hug. Releasing them and taking a step back Ardella couldn't keep the stupid grin off her face.

"Hello, Fred. Hello, George. It's nice to see you, too."

While they were two years older and in a different house, Ardella spoke with the Weasley twins often. The first time they met was in Ardella's first year; the twins were running through an empty corridor, while behind them came the shouts of a clearly outraged Filch. Intent upon escaping the wrath of the grouchy caretaker, the twins weren't watching where they were going and upon sprinting around a corner, slammed into a small, eleven-year-old Ardella walking down the hall with her nose shoved in a book. Having had two thirteen-year-olds smack into her, naturally Ardella fell to the floor along with her bag and all its contents. Though, due to the speed of the collision, the first year wasn't quite sure how she'd gotten there.

"_What the-,"_

"_We're sorry, here you go!"_ The twins had quickly begun to gather up all the books, parchment, quills, and ink that had managed to scatter themselves across the hall. Despite their rush, it was but a few moments later that a wheezing Filch rounded the corner, pointing a bony finger in the direction of the red-headed twins.

"_Now I've got you. I know it was you that set up those dungbombs. You two are in for it now. You'll be in detention for the rest of the year!"_ Throughout the caretaker's rather crazed ramblings, Ardella had managed to stand back up, slinging her empty bag over her shoulder as the twins still held all of her schoolwork. She took in the disappointed looks on the third year's identical faces before coming to a quick decision.

"_Excuse me, Mr. Filch,"_ the caretaker quickly turned his head in her direction, and using the most innocent voice she could muster, continued. "_I don't know what you think these boys did, but whatever it was they couldn't have been responsible._" The halls three other occupants all looked at her with open-jawed expressions of surprise. Filch was the first to recover.

"_Don't you try to cover for them. I know they're the ones that done it. And this time, I've caught them red-handed._"

"_But, Mr. Filch, the twins have been with me in since after dinner. They've been helping me study in the library for my transfiguration exam. You can even ask Madame Pince; we've been in there all evening."_

Filch sputtered at this, but looking at the twins who's arms were still laden with Ardella's books and parchment and having no way to prove that it really was the twins, turned on his heel and left with a frustrated yell. The three students waited a few moments for the caretaker's footsteps to fade away before the twins burst into uncontrollable laughter. Wiping tears from their eyes, they turned to face their savior.

"_Well, look at that, Fred; this little first-year just saved us weeks of detention."_

"_She did indeed, George. And look at that; she's not even in our house."_

"_So, who _are _you?"_ The twins questioned in unison.

"_I'm Ardella Sterling_," she replied in a quiet voice.

"_Well, _Ardella," one of the twins, Fred she though, started, "_Why in the world did you help us escape from detention._"

"_Because Filch is a pain. Anyone who makes him upset deserves to be given an award,_" Ardella spat, her words laced with bitterness. Last week, Filch had screeched at her for stepping on Mrs. Norris' tail and despite her pleas that it was an accident, he claimed she was trying to murder his cat and gave her two nights of detention.

"_Well, it looks like you aren't too bad. For a first year at least,"_ the other twin, George, spoke up while handing Ardella back her belongs, Fred doing the same.

"_Yeah, any enemy of Filch is a friend of ours,_" he agreed as both boys slung an arm around her shoulders. A bit flustered by the behavior of the twins, Ardella gave them a small smile as they led her down the hall and recounted to her their plans to annoy Filch.

Ever since that fateful day, Ardella had always spent some time with the twins, helping them develop some of their pranks. They affectionately referred to her as their own "Little Encyclopedia" as her extensive knowledge on a variety of subjects had aided in the success of numerous pranks.

Fred and George, however, seemed surprised by Ardella's abrupt hug and cheerful greeting, though she really couldn't blame them for being confused. The last time she'd seen them was at her parents' funeral. They had tried to comfort and talk with her, but she only spared them a few words before wandering off to be alone.

"Well, I don't mean to ruin your little reunion," Dimitri spoke up from Ardella's side, "but I really have to be going. My shift starts in just a few minutes. Did you want to hang out with your friends and meet me at the shop later?"

Her brother's tone held a sliver of hope and his eyes pleaded with her to stay with the twins. It wasn't hard for Ardella to realize that Dimitri was glad to see a glimmer of her old, cheerful self and hoped that by spending time with some of her friends, she would recover more quickly. Opening her mouth to agree to his suggestion, she was beat to a response by Fred and George.

"Of course we'll watch after her."

"We know what a handful she can be."

Rolling her eyes at the twin's readiness to make her seem like an irresponsible child that needed looking-after she turned and handed her booklist to Dimitri.

"Yeah, I'll hang out with the twins for a while and then meet you back at Flourish and Blotts. Can you set aside my books for me?" Dimitri nodded and gave his sister a quick hug before bidding the three teens goodbye and being swept away into the busy crowd.

"Look, Fred, now we have our Little Encyclopedia all to ourselves," George stated, slinging an arm over Ardella's shoulder. Upon noticing that he didn't have to lean down as far as usual to complete this action, George took half a step back to take a good look at the girl as his side. "Why, Fred, I do believe our Little Encyclopedia isn't nearly so little anymore."

This remark caused Fred to take a careful scrutiny of Ardella as well before nodding his head in agreement with his brother's statement. "I think you may be right George. She has sprouted up hasn't she?" The twins had always been a bit taller than average and for petite Ardella this meant that her head usually reached just pasted their elbows which, in the past, had fueled endless hours of teasing, much to the delight of the twins. However, while still on the short side, Ardella's recent growth spurt resulted in the top of her head now being almost level with their shoulders. At this newfound revelation, both twins looked on curiously at the dark-haired girl in front of them. After a few moments of fidgeting under their intense gazes, Ardella's broke the silence.

"What?" The statement came out sounding harsher than she expected. After all she wasn't so much annoyed as she was hoping to mask her obvious anxiety that the twins might notice something was off about her. While most people viewed the Weasley twins as nothing more than a bothersome pair of trouble makers (which admittedly was halfway true) Ardella knew that they were actually terribly intelligent and perceptive. In fact, she would have to watch herself carefully around the duo; if they saw anything they thought to be out of the ordinary, it wouldn't take much incentive for them to investigate and possibly discover her secret. And she couldn't bear the thought of the twins' smiling faces turning to loathing and contempt when they looked upon her with the knowledge of what she was.

Shaking herself from her dismal and malicious train of thought, Ardella noticed that the twins seemed to have also broken out of whatever trance that had held their attention for so long. Fred was the first to speak up, his voice unnaturally cautious and devoid of its usual exuberance.

"Ardella, have you been eating alright? You look a bit thin," the red head's brow creased in apparent worry as his brother nodded his head in agreement and added his own two cents.

"Yeah, you look a bit different from the last time we saw you. Are you feeling alright?"

Wondering over the twins' sudden seriousness, Ardella gave them both bemused looks before slowly responding. "What are you two blabbering on about? I'm doing fine. Why?" Neither boy seemed to be in a rush to explain their strange behavior. Chalking it up to the twins being the twins, Ardella shook her head and gave them both a small smile. "So, what shall we do first?"

After a moment's hesitation and more worried glances the twins allowed their features to melt back into their usual jovial expressions. However, Ardella noticed that both still seemed to be a bit on edge. Deciding to ignore it for the time being, she repeated her last inquiry.

"Well, since we haven't seen you for the majority of the summer, we have some major catching up to do," George commented as he once again threw a lazy arm across Ardella's shoulders. Fred mirrored the act and together the three of them headed into the hustle and bustle of the crowded street.

They chattered on about random nonsense, the twins filling her in on the new pranks they had planned for the school year. Their conversation stayed light and cheerful, carefully avoiding talk of Ardella's summer. It wasn't until they had passed by a wanted poster for Sirius Black that the conversation sobered up.

"They still haven't caught him then," Ardella questioned, nodding her head in the direction of the poster. The twins shook their heads and a silence once again settled over the trio. After a moment, Ardella let out a dejected sigh. "Looks like this year just keeps getting worse and worse."

The twins shared a look over the top of Ardella's head before Fred cleared his throat, an uncomfortable look on his face as he once again attempted to ask about Ardella's well-being.

"Uh, how're you holding up? Are you doing okay, with the deat- um, with everything that's happened?" Both twins winced at Fred's rather tactless approach to the subject, but Ardella just released another sigh.

"I'm, okay," she finally admitted. "By no means am I over what happened, but I'm learning to deal with it. Some days I feel like I'm doing okay, but then I'll see or do something that makes me think of them and it hits me again. They're really gone." Fred gave her shoulder a soft squeeze and George pulled her a little closer, each attempting to console her.

"Is that the reason for your, uh, change in appearance," George questioned slowly, unsure if he should continue treading on such a dangerous topic. Both he and Fred were once again staring intently at her with the same serious expressions they had worn not long before. Wondering at the boys' strange behavior, it was a moment before Ardella understood.

Yes, the twins had noticed her recently changed features. Yet, rather than come to the conclusion of her being a raging, blood-sucking vampire, they'd come to a different conclusion. The twins believed that she was depressed.

Just barely managing to reign in her sigh of relief, Ardella gave a small smile. She could see how they managed to come to this conclusion; a thin, bony frame due to malnutrition and a lucid pallor as a result of being locked away inside weren't unheard of when it came to depression. And while she'd somewhat come to terms with her parents death and was beginning to cope with their absence, the twins' mistake could work in her favor.

After all, no one would be surprised if, after losing both of her parents in such a catastrophic accident, she had developed some level of depression. It was the perfect guise to keep people from prodding around and discovering the truth behind her altered appearance. Just as long as no one paid too much attention to her newly changed violet irises, Ardella just might be able to make it though the rest of her schooling without suspicious glances and accusations being thrown her way. Relieved that the twins had, unknowingly, given her a reasonable alibi she quickly engulfed them in another hug, accidently smacking their heads together with her excessive force.

Apparently misinterpreting her sudden bout of joy as a need for comfort, both boys fiercely hugged her back, doing the only thing they could think of in order to help alleviate her pain. After a moment Ardella released Fred and George from her tight embrace and gave them a small, though genuine, grin. A rather awkward silence hung over the trio as they stood there before Fred suddenly grinned and pulled them towards a nearby shop. Glancing up at the sign, a confused expression settled on Ardella's features.

"The Magical Menagerie? Why are we going in there?"

"Because looking at cute, fluffy animals is exactly what you need to cheer up," Fred responded in a tone that made it seem as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Laughing at his simple-minded answer, Ardella allowed herself to be dragged into the animal shop. After bursting through the door, the three of them were surprised when their gazes were met with the sight of snarling mass of ginger fur attacking an equally ginger-haired Ronald Weasley.

* * *

Yes, it's been quite a while since my last update. I've actually had this chapter finished for a while now but hadn't had time to do the final review until now. Hopefully I'll be able to start updating more often, but as things currently stand it might still be a while until my next update. Thanks you all of you who have stayed with my story. I really, truly appreciate your support and eagerly welcome any constructive criticism or comments you may have.

- CadenceofSilence


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